Washington Statue of Limitations (SOL)

Washington has a three-year statue of limitation (SOL) on open accounts such as credit cards, meaning that the creditor can contact you for up to three years. For written contracts creditors can pursue you for up to six years. Consumers can consider Washington debt settlement during the time the account remains open.

In Washington, certain non-income wages are protected from garnishment:

Pensions: Washington provides broad protection for retirement benefits and provides exemptions for public employees, federal, municipal in addition to private pensions and IRA and 401(k) distributions

Public benefits/assistance-- like many states, Washington provides protection for workers’ compensation, unemployment compensation, crime victim’s compensation and veteran’s benefits and aid to the blind, aged and disabled

Insurance and annuity protection--annuities are exempt up to $2,500 per month, fraternal society benefits, disability and life insurance

Washington Credit Card Debt Relief Act of 2010

The Credit Card Debt Relief Act of 2010 has streamlined the methods for repaying debt and regulated how collectors work with debtors. The Act has impacted debt relief collections several ways:

The number of fraudulent or weak performing credit card companies are gone

Reduces the chances of falling victim to fraudulent debt settlement companies due to new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reforms

Increased, open communication from creditors--more information is provided to help you eliminate your loans